Make a donation to vetted aviation charities to thank the air traffic controllers or pilots on a flight that mattered to you. Pick a facility or a flight, leave a dedication, and we'll route your gift to the right 501(c)(3).
Post a thank-you to any facility without spending a cent. If you want to do more, you can also make a thank-you donation.
Pick any of 612 facilities and write a note. It's free, no account needed, and it appears on that facility's wall after a quick check.
Want to do more? Thank-you donations for controllers go 100% to the NATCA Charitable Foundation. For pilots, 100% goes to the pilot charity you choose. Never required to post.
Your note stays on the facility's wall for controllers, pilots, and travelers to see. Donations fund the foundations' relief, scholarship, and family programs.
No middlemen, no fees skimmed off the top, no awkward Venmo to a stranger in a tower or a cockpit.
Choose ATC or Pilots. Then select the facility, airline, or flight number you want to thank — and write a dedication note.
We send you to the matching registered 501(c)(3): 100% to the NATCA Charitable Foundation for controllers, or the pilot charity you choose for pilots. You give directly to them.
Funds go to disaster relief, scholarships, family assistance, and charitable programs run by the controllers' and pilots' own foundations.
Air traffic controllers manage some of the most complex coordinated systems in the world, often handling 30 or more aircraft at a time. Pilots train for years and refine their craft over thousands of hours of flight time. Together, they make modern air travel one of the safest activities you can do.
Neither can accept a tip. Federal rules for controllers, airline policy and FAA guidance for pilots. So most of us never get a chance to say what we'd actually like to say to them.
How to thank an air traffic controller → · How to thank a pilot →
This is a great way to show appreciation — and have it actually reach them.
Every flight is a thousand small decisions made invisibly. When someone notices the work, even once, it carries us a long way.
Pilots can't accept tips either. Choose your airline and the pilot charity you'd like to support. 100% of your donation goes to the pilot charity you choose.
Pick the facility and send a thank-you donation in its name. 100% of your donation goes to the NATCA Charitable Foundation.
Almost done. You'll choose your amount and finish on the charity's own secure page.
Thank ATC is also a free aviation hub — built for travelers, pilots, students, and the curious.
Thanking controllers? 100% of your donation goes to the NATCA Charitable Foundation. Thanking pilots? 100% goes to the pilot charity you choose. You give directly on the charity's own site. We never touch the money.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association Charitable Foundation is a 501(c)(3) that supported 123 charities across 38 states, plus DC and Puerto Rico in 2025. 100% volunteer-run, operating expenses below 5% since 1998.
Donate to NCF →ALPA's emergency relief fund offers immediate financial assistance to ALPA pilots and their families recovering from widespread, catastrophic events. Every penny donated goes to a member in need.
Donate to P4P →The first charitable fund established, managed, and funded entirely by pilots of a major U.S. airline. Focuses on children's charities in cities where Delta pilots live and work.
Donate to DPCF →The Captain Jason Dahl Scholarship Fund and the LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundation support kids' dreams of becoming airline pilots — established in memory of the United Flight 93 pilots.
Visit foundation →A curated list of major aviation gatherings. Always confirm dates and details on the official site before planning your trip — schedules can shift.
A flight from today or one you still remember years later. It's free, there's no sign-up, and every post is checked before it appears. Donating is never required.
Questions, ideas, or a charity we should add? We read every message and usually reply within a few days.
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